You’re using testimonials wrong (and it’s hurting retention)
When you hear “testimonial,” what do you think of?
Probably a smiling face on your website with a generic quote like:
“Our daughter loves training at XYZ Martial Arts!” – Sarah M.
Nice? Sure.
Helpful? Meh.
Testimonials like that are fine for social proof. But here’s where most school owners miss the mark…
Testimonials aren’t just for marketing. They’re for retention.
Every day, your students (and their parents) make a decision:
Do we keep coming to class… or not?
They’re not thinking about your contract. If they want to ghost you, they will.
So instead of relying on external pressure to keep students…
Let’s tap into internal motivation.
Here’s how: Case Studies
A case study is just a smart testimonial that answers four key questions:
-
What problem did the student have when they started?
-
Why did they choose your school?
-
What was the “turning point” or thing you implemented that helped them?
-
What is the result now?
Package it as a story.
Put it in your email onboarding sequence for new students.
Include it in your monthly email to current families.
Let students see people just like them who Struggled > Showed up anyway > Trusted the process ...and came out stronger.
Because when they see proof that consistent training works, they’ll start to believe it for themselves.
Don’t just use testimonials to get new students, use them to keep the students you already have.
It’s simple. It’s powerful. And almost nobody is doing it.
The best part is, once you get it once, you can use it over and over again.
Oh and by the way…
If you want a 1 page doc I created about the EXACT questions to ask for a Case Study that kicks ass, comment “damn that’s good” on my facebook post of this newsletter and i’ll send you the link, fo’ free.
Responses